Hops are grown commercially for use in flavoring beers, stouts and ales. Lupulin glands inside female hop cones provide the resins and essential oils which are the primary components of the hop flavor each variety imparts to beers, stouts, and ales. New hop varieties are evaluated for their growing characteristics, per acre hop cone yield (dried to approximately 8% moisture), the chemical composition of the resins and essential oils contained within the hop cone's lupulin glands, and the unique flavor each variety imparts to beers, stouts and ales. Only female hop plants produce cones containing lupulin glands, and thus only female hops have any commercial value. Male hop plants have no commercial value other than for use in breeding programs to create new varieties.
This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of hop and more particularly to an asexually reproduced hop variety selected from among hop plants resulting from a controlled cross pollination between an unpatented John I. Haas, Inc. (Haas) female hop No. 832-17 with unpatented Haas male hop NO. 833-53M.
Haas female hop No. 832-17 originated from a controlled cross pollination in 1982 between unpatented Galena female hop and unpatented male hop USDA Accession No. 63015M. Haas male hop No. 833-53M originated from a controlled cross pollination in 1982 between unpatented female hop USDA Accession No. 21055 and unpatented male hop USDA Accession No. 63015M.
The controlled cross pollination program resulting in the creation of the new hop variety, hereafter called "H87311-3", was performed in 1986 by Mr. Gene Probasco, a botanist employed by John I. Haas, Inc., in a Haas greenhouse located at 1112 North 16th Avenue, Yakima, Wash. 98902. Mr. Probasco discovered the H87311-3 variety in 1988, among the hop plants which were produced from the seeds resulting from the above described controlled cross pollination progrm.
The seeds from the cross between Haas female hop No. 832-17 and Haas male hop No. 833-53M were planted in a Haas greenhouse in 1987. The most vigorous plants resulting from the cross were selected and planted in a Haas hop field located at Wada Farm, Yakima Golding Farms, Toppenish, Wash. This planting did not produce a crop during the planting year.
In 1988, as a result of chemical analysis and field observations of the hop plants resulting from the Haas female 832-17.times.Haas male 833-53M cross, Mr. Probasco was attracted to the H87311-3 hop plant for its unusually high percentage of alpha acids coupled with its reasonable projected per acre cone yield. The per acre cone yield projections were based upon the cone production of the single H87311-3 hop plant observed in 1988. The plant of this application has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by rooting cuttings at the address identified above. The clones of this plant have been observed to be identical to the original selection in every distinguishing characteristic and establish that the plant is genetically stable through successive generations by asexual propagation.
In 1989, second (2nd) generation rootstock from the H8731 1-3 variety was planted in a one acre test plot located at Wada Farm. This greenhouse produced planting did not produce a crop during the planting year.
However, in 1990, chemical analysis and field observations of the first harvestable crop of the second (2nd) generation plants in the one-acre test plot provided additional information supporting the per acre cone yield projections made from the original H87311-3 plant selected in 1988; confirmed the unusually high alpha acids percentage characteristics of the new variety; and initiated the accumulation of historical agronomic data on the new variety. It is important to note that first year per acre cone yields in Washington state typically are lower than normal per acre yields for Washington state hop fields in subsequent years. Consequently, the per acre cone yield observations made from this first year one acre test plot were used to merely project anticipated normal yields for the new variety.
Also, in 1990, John I. Haas, Inc., performed the first year trials of hexane extraction of the alpha acids on bales of the H87311-3 hop variety from the first crop produced from the one acre test plot. These initial extraction trials were successful because Haas was able to extract a minimum of 93% of the alpha acids present in the H87311-3 hop cones. John I. Haas, Inc. requires that a minimum of 93% of alpha acids be extractable from a new hop variety in order for the new variety to be considered potentially commercially viable.
In 1991, second (2nd) and third (3rd) generation rootstock from the H87311-3 variety was planted in a larger test plot of approximately 10 acres (large acreage test plot) at one of John I. Haas, Inc.'s hop farms located at Toppenish, Wash. This planting did not yield a crop in 1991.
However, in 1991, the one acre test plot of second (2nd) generation plants at Wada Farm produced a second crop of hop cones. The second year per acre cone production was two thousand three hundred and ninety eight (2398) pounds per acre. This is well within the range of per acre cone production for a commercially viable hop variety. The analytical data from chemical analysis of multiple random samples from bales of cones harvested from the one acre test plot showed an average alpha acids percentage of 18.2% (ASBC spectrophotometric method). This is an unusually high alpha acids percentage, and is the primary novel characteristic of this new variety.
In 1991, John I. Haas, Inc., also performed the second year trials of hexane extraction of the alpha acids on bales of the H87311-3 hop variety from the second crop produced from the one acre test plot. These initial extraction trials confirmed that Haas was again able to extract a minimum of 93% of the alpha acids present in the H87311-3 hop cones.
In 1992, no new rootstock was planted. Instead, the second (2nd) generation rootstock in the one acre test plot at Wada Farm was subjected to a third year of field observation and chemical analysis. In 1992, the third year per acre cone production was two thousand and twenty (2020) pounds per acre. This is still well within the range of per acre cone production for a commercially viable hop variety, but was on the low side due to slightly adverse seasonal weather conditions during the 1992 growing season. The analytical data from chemical analysis of multiple random samples from bales of cones harvested from one acre test plot showed an average alpha acids percentage of 17.8%. The third year hexane extraction trials confirmed again that Haas was able to consistently extract a minimum of 93% of the alpha acids present in second (2nd) generation H87311-3 hop cones.
Also, in 1992, the large acreage test plot of second (2nd) and third (3rd) generation plants produced its first crop of hop cones. The analytical data from chemical analysis of multiple random samples from bales of cones harvested from the large acreage test plot in 1992 showed an average alpha acids percentage of 18.2%. Field observations showed hop cone yields of one thousand six hundred and fifty (1650) pounds per acre. Again it is important to note that first year per acre cone yields in Washington state typically are lower than normal per acre yields for Washington state hop fields in subsequent years. This first year yield for hop cones in a large acreage test plot in Washington state were well within the accepable range for a commercially viable variety.
All of the testing and evaluation of the H87311-3 variety's growing characteristics, per acre hop cone yield, analytical data and alpha acids extraction tests were carried out on hop farms, laboratory facilities, and industrial extraction facilities which are wholly owned and controlled by John I. Haas, Inc.
No brewing trials for any beers, stouts or ales had been conducted on this new variety as of the end of the 1992 growing season.
Based upon the field observations performed, and chemical analytical data collected, during this testing and evaluation program from 1988 through 1992, it appears that second (2nd) and third (3rd) generation H87311-3 hop plants demonstrate genetic stability with respect to the new variety's novel characteristic of unusually high alpha acids yields. Also, the new H87311-3 variety demonstrates genetic stability with respect to the production of commercially viable per acre hop cone yields.
This new hop variety has been carefully compared to its female parent, the unpatented Haas female hop No. 832-17, and to its unpatented grandmother variety Galena. (Please note that the hop industry does not make or rely upon any comparisons between new varieties and their male parents or male grandparents, because male hops have no commercial value.). The primary difference between the new H87311-3 variety and its female parent and grandparent varieties is the unusually high alpha acids percentages in bales of harvested hop cones.